Paper Towns
by John Green
It is almost the end of the last year of high school. Quentin Jacobsen (known as Q) continues to admire his neighbour and classmate, Margo Roth Spiegelman, his best friend from when they were little. But Margo has been beyond him for years. He is a nerd and she is A-list. Then one night she turns up dressed in black ninja gear and convinces him to accompany her on a night of revenge. Okay, nobody dies, but plenty of Margo’s ‘friends’ will be rather pissed-off by morning. Quentin is happy to be Margo’s friend again. Then she disappears.
This novel aimed at older teens is a funny and tender story of friendship and (believe it or not) poetry. For Margo really has gone missing, leaving clues for Quentin and his friends to follow. A major clue is a copy of Walt Whitman’s long poem, Leaves of Grass. Margo has highlighted certain lines, but what do they mean? There is also her record collection. How did none of them know that she was such a fan of Woody Guthrie and Billy Bragg? How do we really know anything about another person?
Paper towns on old maps, abandoned buildings, clues left on archane ‘Omnipedia’ entries, lead to Q. & co missing graduation to try to save a friend. How much do we miss in those around us, and how much of what we think we know is really true?
In Paper Towns John Green takes us on a merry ride across several American states, has us considering the wisdom of lines of poetry we wouldn’t have thought twice about yesterday, and introduces us to some odd, endearing and also some annoying young characters.
And what does John Green have to say about his book?
Review by Mrs Thomson
